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2026 Mid-year update

All the dancer promotions, announcements and farewells as we prepare for the second half of 2026.

Written by
Heather Bloom
Published on
13 July 2026

4106404 TAB Romeo And Juliet Cranko Davi Ramos Credit Daniel Boud 2026 1 — Davi Ramos, *Romeo and Juliet* (Cranko) 2026
Photo Daniel Boud

Promotions

Congratulations to The Australian Ballet artists who received news of their promotions in June. The following six artists have all demonstrated incredible dedication, artistic growth and commitment to the art form, and to The Australian Ballet’s values.

Harrison Bradley Corps de Ballet to Coryphée

Daniel Bryne Corps de Ballet to Coryphée

Alexandra Walton Corps de Ballet to Coryphée

Elijah Trevitt Coryphée to Soloist

Grace Carroll Soloist to Senior Artist

Samara Merrick Soloist to Senior Artist

Earlier this year, Davi Ramos was promoted from senior artist to Principal Artist on stage to rapturous applause for the dynamic dancer.

3962465 TAB Manon Mac Millan Brodie James Drew Hedditch Harrison Bradley Credit Kate Longley 2025 1 — Harrison Bradley with Artists of The Australian Ballet, *Manon* (MacMillan) 2025
Photo Kate Longley

3340987 TAB Circle Electric Lake Credit Kate Longley 1 — Daniel Bryne with Principal Artist Sharni Spencer and Artists of The Australian Ballet, *Circle Electric* (Lake) 2024
Photo Kate Longley

3670564 TAB Ground Control Guerin Alexandra Walton Credit Kate Longley 2025 1 — Alexandra Walton, *Ground Control* (Guerin) 2025
Photo Kate Longley

4135883 TAB Copland Dance Episodes Peck Elijah Trevitt Credit Kate Longley 2026 1 — Elijah Trevitt, *Copland Dance Episodes* (Peck) 2026
Photo Kate Longley

4100759 TAB Romeo And Juliet Cranko Grace Carroll Credit Daniel Boud 2026 1 — Grace Carroll, *Romeo and Juliet* (Cranko) 2026
Photo Daniel Boud

4135532 TAB Copland Dance Episodes Peck Samara Merrick Maxim Zenin Credit Kate Longley 2026 1 — Samara Merrick and Maxim Zenin, *Copland Dance Episodes* (Peck) 2026
Photo Kate Longley

3928291 TAB Seven Days Lake Callum Linnane Credit Kate Longley 2025 1 — Callum Linnane, *Seven Days* (Lake) 2025
Photo Kate Longley

Farewells

Australian audiences said farewell to Principal Dancer Callum Linnane as he danced his last Melbourne performance as Romeo in John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet on May 12th. Callum will join the esteemed company of Hamburg Ballet later this year. Discover more about Callum’s impressive career at The Australian Ballet.

Bright Star

Copland Dance Episodes in Melbourne signalled the final performances with The Australian Ballet for two of our dancers, soloist Mia Heathcote and coryphée Benjamin Garrett.

Both artists begin their next chapter for the European 2026/27 seasons with Mia heading to Switzerland to dance with Zurich Ballet while Ben joins the Royal Swedish Ballet.

We wish them all the very best for their next steps on the international stage.

3814584 TAB The Sleeping Beauty Mc Allister Mia Heathcote Credit David Kelly 2025 1 — Mia Heathcote, *The Sleeping Beauty* (McAllister) 2025
Photo David Kelly

3328176 TAB Oscar Wheeldon Benjamin Garrett Callum Linnane Credit Christopher Rodgers Wilson 1 — Benjamin Garrett and Callum Linnane, *Oscar* (Wheeldon) 2024
Photo Christopher Rodgers-Wilson

Congratulations!

AFR Claire Spencer 25 — Executive Director Claire Spencer
Photo Louis Trerise

To our Executive Director Claire Spencer who won the Australian Financial Review Women in Leadership Award in the category of Arts, Culture & Sports in June.

117 State Library Etudes Kate Longley 240926 1 — Annabelle Watt
Photo Kate Longley

Coryphée, Annabelle Watt has just returned from performing with the American Ballet Theatre during their ‘Met Season’ at the Metropolitan Opera House. Supported by the Walter Bourke Scholarship, Annabelle’s time in New York City was an opportunity to take on the ambitious programming of five full-length ballets across six weeks in the massive theatre that seats 3,800 people. Congratulations Annabelle and welcome home!

The next six months are jam packed with ballet as we head out on tour with The Nutcracker Act II and other works from Stephanie Lake, Sandra Parker and George Balanchine. We’re also preparing for the US tour of Christopher Wheeldon’s Oscar and getting ready to host the internationally acclaimed Stuttgart Ballet in the final season at the Regent Theatre with The Sleeping Beauty. In October we’ll return to the newly refurbished Ian Potter State Theatre in Melbourne with The Nutcracker, before closing the year with Copland Dance Episodes and The Nutcracker at the Sydney Opera House... And, of course, keep an eye out for the all-important Season 2027 reveal this September.